Requesting computer user's context data

• US 20050066282A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tangis Corporation
• Inventors: Robarts, James O., Newell, Dan, Abbott, Kenneth H., Freedman, Joshua M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing information about a current state that is modeled with multiple state attributes. In some situations, the providing includes receiving from first and second sources indications of an ability to supply values for, respectively, an indicated one of the state attributes and another of the state attributes. In such situations, the providing also includes, in response to receiving a request from a first client for a value of the indicated one attribute, determining that the first source is available to supply the value, obtaining the value from the first source, and supplying a value obtained from the first source to the first client.

Claims

1-8. -8. (Canceled).

9. A method in a computer for providing information about a current state that is modeled with multiple state attributes, comprising:

receiving from a first source an indication of an ability to supply values for an indicated one of the state attributes of the modeled current state;

receiving from a second source an indication of an ability to supply values for another of the state attributes of the modeled current state; and

in response to receiving a request from a first client for a value of the indicated one attribute,

determining that the first source is available to supply the value;

obtaining the value from the first source; and

supplying a value obtained from the first source to the first client.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the obtaining of the value for the one attribute from the first source includes receiving descriptive information about the obtained value.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the supplying of the obtained value to the first client includes supplying the descriptive information to the first client.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the supplying of the obtained value to the first client includes supplying an indication of the first source.

14. The method of claim 9 including, before supplying the obtained value to the first client:

determining whether the obtained value satisfies a criteria for values supplied to the first client; and

when it is determined that the obtained value does not satisfy the criteria,

requesting at least one source to supply a value for the one attribute that satisfies the criteria;

receiving in response to the requesting at least one additional value for the one attribute that satisfies the criteria; and

supplying to the first client a value for the one attribute based on the received additional values.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the criteria is based on recency of the value.

16. The method of claim 9 including storing values for attributes that are received from sources so that the stored values can be later supplied to clients.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the one attribute represents information about a user of the computer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the represented information reflects a modeled mental state of the user.

26. The method of claim 9 including, after receiving a request from the first client for a value of a second indicated attribute and receiving a value from a source for the second attribute, supplying to the first client the received value for the second attribute.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the received value for the second attribute is from the first source.

28. The method of claim 9 including, after receiving a value for the one attribute from a third source, supplying the received value to the first client.

29. The method of claim 9 including, after receiving a request from a second client for a value of the another attribute and receiving a value from the second source for the another attribute, supplying the received value to the second client.

30. The method of claim 9 wherein the obtaining of the value from the first source by the intermediary module involves requesting the first source to supply the value and receiving the requested value in response, and wherein the received value from the first source in based on input information related to the one attribute that is retrieved by the first source in response to the requesting.

32. The method of claim 9 including supplying to the first client a mediated value for the one attribute that is based on multiple received values for the one attribute.

33. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving of the supplied value by the first client prompts the first client to present information to a user of the first client.

34. The method of claim 9 including:

receiving from the first client an indication of a condition; and

when it is determined that the condition is satisfied, notifying the first client.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the condition relates to a specified one of the state attributes having a specified value.

13. (Canceled).

19-25. -25. (Canceled).

31. (Canceled)

36. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing device to provide information about a current state that is modeled with multiple state attributes, by performing a method comprising:

receiving from a first source an indication of an ability to supply values for an indicated one of the state attributes of the modeled current state; and

in response to receiving a request from a first client for a value of the indicated one attribute,

determining that the first source is available to supply the value;

obtaining the value from the first source; and

supplying a value obtained from the first source to the first client.

37-38. -38. (Canceled).

39. A computing device for providing information about a current state that is represented with multiple attributes, comprising:

an attribute mapping module that is capable of receiving from a first source an indication of an ability to supply values for an indicated one of the attributes of the current state and of receiving from a second source an indication of an ability to supply values for another of the attributes of the current state;

an attribute value request module that is capable of receiving a request for a value of the one attribute from a first client; and

an attribute value supplier module that is capable of, in response to the receiving of the request, determining that the first source is available to supply the value, requesting the value from the first source, and supplying to the first client a value received from the first source.

40-63. -63. (Canceled)